Of Mice and Men
by Wolfemann
Summary: When Freya and Amarant get together, they have a rocky road ahead of them. Will things get better, or worse, when Sir Fratley gets mixed up in them?
1. Of Mice and Men: Codes and Disclaimers

Of Mice and Men By: Wolfemann  
  
Disclaimers: If you think I own these characters, or am making any money for writing this, you are sadly mistaken. I wish I could claim the first so that the second would be true, but.. Ah, well.  
  
Summary: Amarant and Freya have a conversation outside the Hildegaard III that turns into a bit more - but can their new relationship withstand the pressures from their pasts?  
  
Codes: R, M/F Relationships/Sex, Cross-Species (Human/Burmecian), Poly, Violence, Angst  
  
Pairings: Amarant/Freya  
  
Feedback: Please! I like feedback. And, on top of that, I will do my best to respond to any feedback I'm given, if an email addy is provided - personal policy. 


	2. Of Mice and Men: Part 1

~~~Part 1~~~  
  
Amarant was sitting on the long beach of Everlang Island, watching the waves of the great ocean and thinking. He'd been doing a lot of that lately - ever since Zidane had rescued him from Ipsen's Castle. Thinking about the past, and where it had led him. Of the future, and why the hell he was spending it tailing after the little monkey who seemed determined to get the lot of them killed for something that Amarant, at the very least, had no reason to get involved in. He could understand Vivi and the fool Princess. That meant that Steiner had a reason to get involved as well - but what about the others?  
  
Most of them weren't particularly fond of Quina, thought of the obese creature as a bottomless pit of a stomach with enough tongue to strip the bark from a tree. But s/he was useful in a fight, so they kept it around. But why would Quina stay with them? Eiko - the child had a crush on Zidane, that much Amarant was fairly sure of, so it made sense that she would want to stick around. Besides, she was getting friendly with the princess - the mysterious connection between the two of them had become more and more apparent since the destruction of Alexandria. Then there was Freya....  
  
Amarant turned his head and brushed back his shaggy red hair, looking over at the Burmecian dragon knight where she was sitting on a rocky outcropping, watching for fish large enough to serve as a meal. She was the one that really confused him. True, she seemed to be a friend of Zidane's of some years, but she'd been on her own for most of those years, never helping the little monkey with any of his other jobs. As Amarant understood things, she hadn't even set out to help him with anything this time. Zidane had decided to help her out, return to Burmecia with her to fight off Alexandria's armies. But after the battle was over, and her homeland destroyed, she decided to follow him. The survivors were eager to count her among their number, but she still wouldn't settle down to help them rebuild. She was going to stay with Zidane until the end - and probably get herself killed in the process.  
  
The thing that confused him most about her, though, was that he actually cared about whether or not she lived through this. Of the seven people he was traveling with, she was the only one who seemed to care about his past - but not really want to push him about it. Zidane seemed to care, but he wouldn't take no for an answer either. But in Treno, during the tournament, Amarant had actually found himself half-wishing that Freya had pushed a little more than she did. His thoughts were interrupted by a curse as she pulled her spear out of the water, having missed her prey again. With a chuckle, he stood up and strolled over to where she was fishing.  
  
"So, you found something that'd work for a meal?"  
  
"Yes," she said with a frustrated sigh. "You know, it's days like this that I wish some of the monsters up here were actually edible."  
  
"Unless you'd like to take lessons from Quina, I don't think you're going to find any that are. So, what did you find?" She pointed her spear at a group of tuna.  
  
"And you can't hit one of them," Amarant said, raising an eyebrow beneath the flaming red mane that gave him his name.  
  
"If you can do any better, I'd like to see it." Amarant smiled and adjusted his claws.  
  
"As you wish." With that, he dove into the water, disappearing from sight beneath the foam his entry churned up. A few moments later, he popped up several feet away from where he had landed, and swam back to the shore using only one arm. With a grunt, he swung his other arm up and sent one of the tuna flying through the air. Freya watched in shock as it landed next to her, followed quickly by the soaked warrior. Two ragged wounds marked the places where he'd impaled it on his claws.  
  
"Dinner," he said simply, before starting back towards the Hildegaard III. Freya shook her head as he walked away, and started cleaning the massive fish, still amazed that he'd been able to throw it that far....  
  
A few minutes later, just outside the airship, Amarant leaned up next to the landing platforms. He'd just changed and wrung out his hair, and was waiting for Zidane to come down. As expected, the much younger thief came trotting down the ramp as soon as he heard that something fresh was available for dinner. As much as Quina was the glutton of the group, everybody on the ship preferred fresh food to trail rations. Except for Steiner, of course, but that was hardly the most unusual thing about the old knight.  
  
"So there you are, Zidane," Amarant said from the base of the ramp. "I was wondering how long it'd take you to get out here. Sweet-talking the princess again?"  
  
"Very funny, Amarant," Zidane said, his monkey's tail twitching back and forth behind him. Amarant unfolded his arms and took a few steps away from the ship, looking out over the land.  
  
"Don't suppose you'd be interested in a little sparring," he asked casually. Zidane looked at him appraisingly.  
  
"Just sparring? Not that rematch you were looking for, or anything like that?"  
  
"Just sparring. What happened at Madain Sari, while unusual, was settled in Ipsen's Castle. By the way, I don't think I've really thanked you for saving my neck back there."  
  
"You're right, you haven't. Don't worry about it - I'd have done it for any of the others, too. Heck, just about anybody. So," Zidane said, kicking the ground absent-mindedly. "You're looking for a sparring partner, are you? Why not ask one of the others?"  
  
"You're the only one who's a challenge," Amarant shrugged. "The only other one of you who might be a challenge is that fool knight, and I don't know that I could trust him to keep it non-lethal with those huge swords of his."  
  
"Oh, please," Zidane said with a laugh. "You could handle Rusty if he got too rough, I know that much."  
  
"I know it too. I just don't know if he could handle my handling it." Zidane sighed and shook his head.  
  
"You know, Amarant, you really need to lighten up. Okay, we'll get some sparring in while Quina cooks the fish you caught. Freya brought it up a few minutes ago." Amarant nodded quietly, and walked out to a clearing a little further from the ship. Zidane sighed and followed him, checking to be sure he had his daggers - after all, there was no way of telling just what Amarant considered sparring....  
  
***  
  
Later, back on the ship, Princess Garnet - or Dagger, as she preferred to be called since the 'kidnapping' that had started all of this - ran to find Freya in the engine room.  
  
"Freya, Amarant and Zidane are fighting again!"  
  
"What? Show me," Freya said, grabbing her spear. She had thought that Amarant was over his defeat at Madain Sari - but there was no telling with either of those fools. She ran after Dagger, her foot-claws clicking on the wooden deck as the princess led her to the deck. When they were up top, Freya looked around for the two fighters, spotting them on the grassy plains surrounding the airship. She laughed and nodded after a moment.  
  
"Relax, Dagger. They're not fighting; they're just practicing. Granted, it'd probably be smarter if they weren't using real weapons, but I can see that Zidane only has his daggers from his Tantalus days, and it looks like Amarant's using his bare hands, so I think they're safe."  
  
"It looks serious," Dagger said, frowning. "I'm sorry I disturbed you for this."  
  
"Don't worry, Dagger," Freya said, putting a hand on the shorter princess' shoulder. "You're not trained as a warrior, after all. It's hardly fair to expect you to recognize when two people are just sparring, especially when they're using live steel." Freya watched the two spar, narrowly dodging each other's attacks, Zidane moving with a fluid grace, Amarant with the staccato, precise movements that allowed him to channel his inner strength for incredible results. The two seemed to be fairly well matched, until Amarant made the mistake of charging Zidane. The smaller thief ducked to the side, his tail grabbing Amarant's leg as he ran by. Amarant hit the ground hard, and rolled to his back just in time to realize that the tip of Zidane's knife was by his throat.  
  
"Give up," Zidane asked with a grin. Amarant chuckled and nodded carefully. Zidane sheathed his knives, and helped the huge fighter to his feet.  
  
"That's the third time you've gotten the best of me," Amarant said, shaking his head ruefully.  
  
"Third? I count two."  
  
"Long story. You'd better go get your food before Quina eats it." Zidane chuckled and started back onto the airship. Amarant just sat down in the grass and went back to looking at the ocean, pulling a packet of trail rations out of his pocket. It might have been crushed a little in the fight, but it'd still be edible. Hell, if it hadn't been, Amarant might have thanked whatever providence gave him an excuse to eat with the others....  
  
~~~===~~~  
  
That night, Amarant was still sitting up, while the crew and passengers who weren't up for the first watch were putting out the lights in the ship. The night had always been when Amarant had been the most comfortable - he'd spent all his life in Treno, though, so that made sense. Whatever forces had caused the city's rapid decay had also caused nearly eternal night to fall upon the 'City of Nobles.' And that long night had drawn thieves, who had drawn people willing to watch the places the thieves were trying to rob. Amarant had walked both sides of the law in his day, and other sides that most people didn't think existed. So, while he was perfectly comfortable out here, he wasn't really expecting anybody else to leave the admittedly more comfortable surroundings of the airship. So when he saw a slender white figure jump off the deck and move quickly towards the beach, he didn't think he had any real choice but to follow.  
  
It was easy enough to follow his quarry across the plains of Everlang Island - its white stuck out like a sore thumb against the sea of green. What was harder was following it across the sands of the beaches, but Amarant quickly found a set of tracks to follow. When he noticed them, he realized who his quarry was - the footprints were like a giant mouse's. He was following Freya - but why would she be out here this late? As he followed her silently, he watched her slip up between a group of rocks that he hadn't noticed earlier. A tide pool, maybe?  
  
Amarant slipped up closer, making as little sound as possible. The back of her head slipped up over the rocks as she stretched out, and he heard her moan softly. For once in his life, Amarant's cheeks became nearly the same color as his hair as he silently turned and moved away, leaving Freya to her privacy....  
  
~~~===~~~  
  
The next morning, Zidane found Amarant practicing alone outside the ship.  
  
"Hey, Amarant," he shouted, waving to the lone warrior. Amarant turned and strolled over once his kata was finished.  
  
"What," he asked simply, though it was more a statement than a question.  
  
"I was wondering if there was something wrong yesterday. Didn't think you'd fall for that trick so easily."  
  
"I was thinking about something."  
  
"Oh, now that's a bad habit we'll have to break you of," Zidane said, grinning. There was silence for a moment before Zidane shrugged and looked out towards the forest further to the south.  
  
"Well, I figure I'll be taking Vivi, Eiko, and Dagger out for some more training today. The three of them are getting to be pretty good - I think Vivi's about ready to use that Meteor spell of his without using that fancy staff we helped Choco find." Amarant nodded silently, remembering the collection of weapons that they'd found with the chocobo's help. For weeks since Ipsen's Castle, the lot of them had been practicing all over the world, occasionally taking breaks to search for treasure with the chocobo they had been training. On the one hand, it was delaying their mission, their goal to find Kuja and bring the warmonger to his knees.  
  
But, on the other hand, Amarant had learned techniques that he hadn't even known existed until a few weeks ago. Besides, it gave him a fair amount of time to himself, not all of which was spent training on his own. For the first time he could remember, Amarant was actually taking time to relax, let his guard down. A little.  
  
"Just be sure you bring them all back in one piece," the taller warrior said carelessly, in the same tone he always used.  
  
"You know, you're worrying about Eiko a lot - isn't she a little young for you," Zidane asked, chuckling as he nudged Amarant's ribs with his elbow. Amarant just growled. Zidane shrugged and started back onto the ship. A few minutes later, he and his three 'students' left to hunt the giant beasts the islands seemed to breed - dangerous, but worth the risk for the experience to be gained fighting them. Amarant went back to his practice, trying to take his mind off of what he'd seen and heard the night before....  
  
~~~===~~~  
  
Freya was sitting in the engine room of the Hildegaard III, sharpening her lance, when Quina came trotting down cheerfully, carrying the key to a large lockbox she had brought down here from Lindblum. Lately, the massive Qu had been experimenting with ways to use the steam engine as a cooking surface, driving the engineers on the ship half-mad in the process, but never doing any serious harm. As Freya watched, Quina opened the box, revealing more different types of food than the dragon knight could ever remember seeing in one place before, all being kept cold on a massive block of ice that seemed to defy nature by being so close to the blazing hot steam engine. Quina turned and looked at Freya.  
  
"You want something?"  
  
"Uhm, no thanks, Quina."  
  
"Okay," s/he said with a shrug. "Is too bad, leftovers best." S/he pulled a massive haunch of meat out of the box, and lugged it over to the steam engine, setting it on the red-hot iron shell. Almost immediately, the room was filled with the smell of cooking meat, steam from the rapidly melting ice, and the hiss of a hot frying pan that somebody had just dropped water into. A few minutes later, Quina pulled the meat back and carried it over to a convenient spot to sit, relatively near Freya. The steam cleared quickly, and the dull spot on the engine's surface rapidly glowed red hot again.  
  
"Is self-cleaning," Quina said with a self-satisfied nod as s/he watched the grease from the meat burn off, the smoke quickly clearing through the door at the top of the stairs as the crew grumbled loud enough to be heard over the sound of the slow-running engine. Freya couldn't help but chuckle at the show that happened almost daily.  
  
"You sure you no want some? Is good food - dragon drumstick best part." Freya shook her head.  
  
"No, thank you. I'm not really hungry." Quina shrugged and started eating. Freya sighed and continued to hone the edge of her lance to a razor-sharp edge. When Quina had finished the 'drumstick,' s/he looked at Freya curiously.  
  
"What wrong, Freya?" Freya looked at Quina, surprised.  
  
"What makes you think there's something wrong?"  
  
"You make sharp-sticky so sharp you almost cut rock. Zidane say that as bad as not making sharp-sticky sharp at all." The expression on Quina's face was almost worried, one that Freya couldn't remember seeing before. She looked down and saw that, indeed, she had almost worn through her whetstone. Grinning sheepishly, she shrugged and put the lance and stone off to the side.  
  
"You're right, I guess I was thinking about something else."  
  
"So what you think about?" Freya chuckled and shook her head. Who would have thought that Quina would be the one she'd wind up talking to about this - but she wanted to talk to somebody, and the only other person she *could* talk to on the ship today was Steiner - and there was no way she was going to let him hear about this.  
  
"Quina, when you want something, but you're not sure how to get it, what do you do?" The corner of Quina's giant mouth quirked up, almost in a frustrated frown.  
  
"What you have to think about? If you want something, ask. If nobody say no, or nobody there to ask, then take."  
  
"It's not that easy, Quina."  
  
"Why not? Look at me! I do what I want. You have problem? It your problem, not mine." It was a good thing that Freya had begun to understand Quina's unusual way of talking, or she might have taken offense at that last statement. But she thought she knew what s/he meant. Besides, what would the harm be in, as Quina put it, asking?  
  
Beyond the fact that she was still supposed to be betrothed to Sir Fratley? But no, he didn't even remember her name, let alone who she was, or who he was to her.  
  
"Maybe you're right about that, after all."  
  
"I right," Quina said, smiling and nodding. "After all, Master Quale teach me, and Master Quan teach him. Master Quale know everything about art of gourmand, except tasting things he not taste before. And Master Quan know that, too. So they right, and that mean I right too."  
  
"I'm not even going to pretend I understood what that all meant. Thanks, Quina. I'll see you later."  
  
"Okay. Freya?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"If you not back for lunch, can I have?" Freya smiled and laughed.  
  
"Sure thing, Quina. And enjoy it - I'll get something for myself later if I have to."  
  
"No worry - if you get back too late, I cook tasty munchies for you myself. It only polite, after all." Laughing, Freya walked up the stairs and out of the ship. Maybe she had been a little hasty in judging Quina....  
  
~~~===~~~  
  
Amarant had just finished his morning exercises, and was lying down under the airship for a rest, when Freya found him. She sat down next to him as he propped himself up on his elbows and looked over at her, brushing his hair back to reveal his face.  
  
"Hello, Amarant," she said, looking at him as she leaned back next to him.  
  
"Hi," he said simply, looking back to the sky, trying not to think about how close she was to him. She'd been distracting him for days now, but he had to admit - she was a pleasant distraction. Every movement revealed her grace and power, more like a lioness than a mouse. Lean muscle rippling beneath her soft fur, a deceptively soft and vulnerable appearance - a warrior goddess, in a guise that you naturally wanted to protect. He chuckled slightly at the thought. As if she needed his protection.  
  
"Something funny?"  
  
"Not really - just thinking about how I've changed since meeting the rest of you lunatics." Freya chuckled at that, and nodded.  
  
"We might be lunatics, but I don't think anybody sane would be able to do what has to be done. Wouldn't have the balls to pull it off," she smirked, before sighing slightly.  
  
"I noticed something about our little gang the other day, Amarant - not sure if you have or not."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Everybody on this ship has somebody. Everybody except for you and me, that is. Zidane and Dagger, Vivi and Eiko, Steiner's pining after Beatrix, Quina has her master to go back to, even the crew all have somebody to come back to. I wonder if it's right to drag them along into this. Zidane wouldn't let anybody go without him, but is it fair to drag them into it when they have some reason to keep going?" Amarant shrugged slightly, fighting against his gut reaction.  
  
"Don't you have the other Burmecians and your boyfriend," he asked, his casual voice not betraying the sinking feeling that the last part gave him. She snorted slightly as she watched a bird fly overhead.  
  
"Oh, yes, the last remnants of my people scattered across the Mist Continent, and a former fiancé who literally doesn't have the slightest idea who I am. That's a great thing to have to come home to."  
  
"Better than nothing," he said quietly. "I've got a half-dozen unmarked graves, where the people who raised me for the pits are buried. That's family to me, that's my people. I don't think anybody'd really give a shit if I was never seen again, with the possible exception of the bounty hunter's who'd be heartbroken if they never managed to collect because I went off on some damn fool's crusade."  
  
"I'd care," Freya said, slightly above a whisper. He looked over at her again, not entirely sure he'd heard the words properly.  
  
"What?"  
  
"I said I'd care," she said, slightly louder, though she didn't move from her position next to him. He looked at her face, trying to read her expression even as he struggled to maintain his indifferent one. She was serious, from the way she looked. And it looked like she was hurting, to judge by the tears he saw forming in her eyes.  
  
"Crying for me before I'm even gone?"  
  
"Crying for what I've lost," she said softly. "In order to care enough to cry for you when you do go." He chuckled with disbelief as he leaned back.  
  
"Well," he said, shaking his head, "aren't we screwed up?" Now it was her turn to wonder if he was serious.  
  
"What do you mean, screwed up?"  
  
"I mean that you're apparently thinking of me as more than just a comrade- in-arms, and I'm thinking of you the same way, and it's eating us both up trying to admit to it," he said, regretting his words almost as soon as they came out of his mouth, but unable to stop them for the first time in his life.  
  
"Apparently there's a lot neither of us knows about the other," she said, looking up at the sky.  
  
"You tried to find out," he said. "First time ever I wanted somebody to push it when I clammed up. Maybe because you didn't," he mused.  
  
"Wasn't my place to push," she said. "Want to talk about it now?"  
  
"Already told you the highlights," he chuckled slightly. "After I got out of pit fighting, I took up odd jobs - guard work, smash jobs, that sort of thing. About the only thing I wouldn't do is assassination work - didn't keep me from becoming Treno's Most Wanted within a year of losing my job when that kid got passed me."  
  
"So that's what your problem with Zidane is? He cost you a job," she asked, slightly incredulous.  
  
"I've won every fight I remember, except for the times I've taken Zidane on. That sort of thing sticks in your mind. Gaia knows little enough else does, with me."  
  
"I can't imagine not remembering my life," she said. "I'd rather be dead than forgotten, let alone forget myself."  
  
"You've had a life worth remembering - people who loved you, a duty that meant something more than a paycheck and sleeping somewhere besides a gutter - most of my life isn't worth the trouble to pay attention. Until a few months ago."  
  
"When all this started?"  
  
"Yeah. Got my ass kicked by Zidane in Madain Sari, and watched my life get more screwed up every day."  
  
"Well, I'm sorry that you've lost your idyllic existence as a wanted bounty hunter," she said dryly.  
  
"I'm not," he said seriously. "I used to be, but not any more. Spent all my life going from one fight to the next - always looking for the next big challenge. Now, now I'm thinking that maybe there's something more."  
  
"There is," she said, nodding her head as she reached a slender hand up to brush her wispy white hair out of her eyes. "Family, friends...there's more to life than fighting."  
  
"I haven't really had family or friends before all this. Closest I ever came was Lani - the two of us worked together for a year or two before we split up in Madain Sari."  
  
"What about love?" He licked his lips, fighting between his trained response to clam up, and his desire to let her know how he felt in no uncertain terms.  
  
"What do you think," he asked, his voice not quite as perfectly steady as usual.  
  
"I think you've been fighting it long enough that you wouldn't know it if it came up and bit you in the ass," she said simply. He didn't bother to deny her words - why should he? She was right, after all.  
  
"And me," she continued, "me, I've been wasting my life looking for it."  
  
"Not wasted time, to listen to Zidane prattle on about it," Amarant said carelessly.  
  
"Zidane's also going to have to change the way he acts rather drastically, if he's going to keep that love," Freya said with a slight chuckle. "Going to have to stop looking to the next warm bed, start looking towards coming back to the same one every night. For a long time, at that, unless he moves on again."  
  
"He have a habit of doing that?"  
  
"He had one," Freya nodded. "But honestly, I think he's changing. He's still a cocky little bastard, but he's a much more mature cocky little bastard than the last time I saw him," she smirked.  
  
"And what about you?"  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Whatever you said earlier, you're still in love with Fratley," Amarant said simply.  
  
"You're right," she said, after a moment's hesitation. "I'm in love with who he was - I don't know if that means anything now, though."  
  
"Which still leaves us both pretty screwed up," he murmured with a sigh. They were quiet for a few moments, laying back and watching the world around them. Eventually, the dragon knight couldn't take the near silence any longer - she had to ask, while she still had the guts to do so.  
  
"Amarant?"  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"Are you...." Ask, Freya, and don't bother with worrying. That's what you meant to do when you came down here in the first place. "Are you...in love with somebody?"  
  
"Besides you?" A long moment passed as she tried to decide what to do next. Suddenly, she rolled over on top of him, the soft fur of her muzzle against his face as her slender tongue penetrated his mouth. He was startled for a moment, but put his arms around her and held her close as he returned the kiss.  
  
"Are you sure you want to do this," he asked quietly, when they parted.  
  
"Yes,' she nodded. "But let's take it to my quarters, hmm? I don't think I want to give Zidane that sort of material if he comes back early," she smirked. Amarant chuckled and nodded. She rolled off of him, and got onto her knees before he arched his back and seemed to spring to his feet almost effortlessly.  
  
"Care for a hand up," he said with a soft smile.  
  
"Thank you," she said, with a smile of her own. "After you, Amarant," she chuckled.  
  
"Call me Red," he smiled as he started onto the ship, the white-furred Burmecian close behind him.. 


	3. Of Mice and Men: Part 2

~~~Part 2~~~  
  
The sun was dropping into the sea off the coast of Everlang Island, and Freya was lying next to her lover quietly, the two of them just holding each other as they rested. She yawned slightly, blushing when she looked at Amarant afterwards. He chuckled slightly and kissed her gently.  
  
"What's on your mind?"  
  
"You," she said softly. "Us, really."  
  
"So what are you thinking," he asked, brushing her hair back out of her eyes.  
  
"I'm wondering what you want, what I want - trying to figure out where we're going to go when this is all over."  
  
"What I want isn't usually what I get," he said softly. "I've gotten used to it."  
  
"Amarant, I'm serious. If you don't want anything from me but a warm bed.we're going to have to talk about it." His eyes flashed briefly, before he locked eyes with her.  
  
"And what if I want more than that? Don't assume the worst of me, Freya - you'll do us both a disfavor if you do, particularly about that." She was taken aback for a long moment, not sure if he'd take offense for long. She couldn't tell by his voice - she just had to hope that he'd get over it soon.  
  
"Then what do you want?" He was quiet for several seconds, but she could see that he was trying to decide what to tell her. "Please, Amarant - I have to know."  
  
"I want us to leave behind what we used to be," he said, "what I used to be, at the very least. I want us to be able to have a life of our own, together. But I know that's not possible."  
  
"Why not," she asked, despite the fact that she thought she knew the answer.  
  
"My life doesn't want to let go of me, and yours is something you want to go back to. How could I ask you to leave behind what you have? People who respect you, someone you love - and I know you still love him. What have I got to offer you for that? Only what you see here."  
  
"That's enough," she said, pulling him close and kissing him. "You're enough for me, Amarant."  
  
"Would I be? For the rest of both our lives?" Silence reigned for a long moment before he spoke again.  
  
"That's what I thought. It wouldn't be fair for me to ask you to leave all of that, and you'd be a fool to agree to do it."  
  
"Amarant, I -" He silenced her by pressing the tip of a finger up against her lips.  
  
"I told you, I'm used to what I get not being what I want. I'll enjoy whatever time we have together, even if it's nothing more than the past few hours."  
  
"It won't be that," she said quietly, leaning forward to kiss him. "I - I want what you do, believe me."  
  
"But you want your old life too, or at least a part of you does. I understand, Freya, you don't need to apologize for it. If I had that to come back to, I'd want to keep it too." Just then, the airship shuddered and rose into the sky. "Ah, shit," Amarant swore, throwing back the covers. "Zidane had damn well better have a good reason to be moving this ship." Freya sat up, and started pulling on her clothes, a similarly irritated expression on her face.  
  
"I'm sure he does, but I want to hear it." A few minutes later, the two were walking towards the bridge, intent on finding out just what was going on. A lithe figure came dashing down the stairs, only slowing down when she ran straight into Freya. Dagger wrapped her arms around the Burmecian, and started sobbing incoherently. Freya and Amarant exchanged looks, Freya's worried, Amarant's his customary impossible-to-read look. Freya loosened the princess' grip, and knelt in front of her.  
  
"What's wrong, Dagger? What happened?"  
  
"Dragon - everything went wrong! Zi - Zidane's." She trailed off into sobs again, collapsing in the hall as Freya paled, and ran towards the infirmary, Amarant close behind her. They found members of the crew huddled around one of the cots, the monkey-tail dangling limply off the side confirming what they'd been afraid of.  
  
"Get out of the way," Freya shouted, roughly shoving the crew out of her path until she was at Zidane's side. The young thief was badly wounded, a thin trickle of blood staining his lips. Freya inspected him quickly, trying to find out what was wrong with him, as Amarant walked up behind her quietly.  
  
"How is he," the crimson-haired fighter asked.  
  
"Not good," Freya said grimly. "It looks like somebody literally tried feeding him to a dragon, and did a good job of it."  
  
"That somebody was probably the dragon. He's alive though, isn't he?"  
  
"Yes, barely. I don't think he'll last long enough for Reis' Wind to heal him, though." Amarant chuckled, and looked at the thief who had beaten him so often before.  
  
"Maybe not, but I can buy him that time. If I could have some room," he said, looking around at the crew that was crowding dangerously close to him. They picked up on the tone of his voice, and soon the room was clear except for the three of them.  
  
"What do you have in mind?"  
  
"What I have a feeling none of the others had the strength left to do," Amarant said matter-of-factly, slipping into a kata. Freya watched as her lover's hands moved, somehow smooth and graceful despite the precise, clipped movements. While she watched, a large glowing ball of energy formed in his hands, starting as a soft blue, but quickly becoming a blazing white as he repeated his motions, focusing his energy. Suddenly, he raised his hands and drove the blazing light into Zidane's chest. The young thief's body jerked up as though somebody had run lightning through it, and his eyes flew open as he gasped, coughing up the blood in his throat as his outermost wounds healed. Amarant wiped his brow as Zidane coughed more, and tried to sit up, only to be pushed back down by Freya's strong hands.  
  
"You lay down," she said, just as the rest of the party reached the doors of the infirmary.  
  
"Zidane," Eiko shouted, "you're alive!" He cracked a grin and squirmed out from under Freya's hand, jumping to his feet and laughing.  
  
"Yeah, I'm alive - thanks to Amarant, I think." The fighter shrugged, and started towards the door.  
  
"Now we're even for Ipsen's Castle," he said as he walked out. Zidane shook his head while everybody else just stared after the departing figure - everyone except Freya, who was quietly chuckling to herself.  
  
"Well, Zidane, if you're able to walk, you might want to go tell your Princess that you're still alive. She's pretty upset about what happened." Zidane nodded, and started out. Then Freya and Steiner looked at Vivi and Eiko, who were both still pretty shocked about what they'd just seen.  
  
"Well," they both asked. Eiko loosened her collar, looking to Vivi for help explaining it. Quina wandered off, seeing that the excitement was over. Besides - they'd be wanting a *big* dinner that night, so s/he'd better start cooking it.  
  
"Well, y'see," she said, trying to figure out what to say.  
  
"The dragon we went after managed to hit Zidane with its poison breath," Vivi said sadly, explaining. "And then it wouldn't let up long enough for us to cure him, and it just kept beating on us until Dagger and Eiko couldn't heal us any more - I managed to get off a Meteor, but it wasn't in time to keep it from beating Zidane up pretty badly."  
  
"Yeah," Eiko said. "And since we sold off the Phoenix Downs, and didn't have any Ethers with us.."  
  
"Don't worry Eiko, Master Vivi," Steiner said, "it wasn't your fault - Sir Zidane should have known better than to sell off the Phoenix Downs, and he certainly knew enough to bring Ethers along. Besides - Amarant was able to heal him, so everything's better now."  
  
"Yeah," Eiko said, much more cheerfully. "By the way, Freya, how did you two get here so much faster," she asked, looking at the much taller Burmecian.  
  
"We were in the area," Freya said with a shrug. "Dagger found us pretty quickly, we came here after she started crying again." Eiko was sure there was something Freya wasn't saying, but filed it away mentally. Something didn't sound right - actually, she realized, didn't smell right. But it wasn't important now.  
  
"Well, it's a good thing you got here. We didn't know how long he'd last without being healed fast."  
  
"I'm just glad that Amarant can do that," Freya said softly. "It gives us a back-up for when you or Dagger get hurt too badly. One thing's for sure, though - we're going back to pick up more Phoenix Downs. There is no way this is going to happen again. Steiner? Would you have the crew set course for Daguerro? To judge by what I felt from the ship's turning earlier, they set course back for Lindblum - we don't need to go that far." Steiner saluted and ran off towards the front deck, armor clanking as he went on his way. Eiko and Vivi left moments after that, going out to look for Zidane and Dagger. Freya waited a few moments, then left to hunt for Amarant again..  
  
~~~===~~~  
  
The lanky warrior was in his quarters when she found him, laying on the spartan cot he sometimes called a bed, looking at the ceiling.  
  
"Amarant?" He didn't respond to her voice, so she stepped closer to him, touching his shoulder. When he didn't respond to that, she started to get worried.  
  
"Amarant, are you okay," she asked, shaking him slightly. Before she knew what had happened, she was on the floor, trying to catch her breath after Amarant's fist was planted firmly in her stomach.  
  
"Shit," he yelled, rolling off the bed and hurrying over to her. "Are you okay, Freya?" She gasped as she looked into his face, trying to figure out what was going on.  
  
"Yeah," she said between deep breaths. "Just trying to figure out why you slugged me," she finished when she could speak easier.  
  
"Reflexes - didn't expect anybody to interrupt me while I was meditating," he explained, offering her a hand up, "sorry."  
  
"I'll remember not to do that again," she said, taking his hand and standing. "But you didn't respond to anything else, and I didn't know what the problem was, so.."  
  
"Sorry, should have warned you. Using my skills - powers, if you will - leaves me somewhat unbalanced. If I'm in a battle, then I usually return to normal after the battle-rush leaves me. If not," he shrugged. "I have to re-center myself, and I'm usually out of it while I do so."  
  
"So do you need to go back to.whatever it was you were doing?"  
  
"Nah, the rush from when you got my attention helped settle me down a bit." Freya chuckled, rubbing her sore stomach.  
  
"I hope you'll forgive me if I don't do that the next time, though." Amarant smirked at her, and put an arm around her shoulders.  
  
"No problem - I'd rather not plant my fist in your stomach, for that matter. So, what happened to our fearless leader that left him in that condition."  
  
"The usual - the last thing he probably expected to be a problem became one." Amarant shook his head.  
  
"Figures. It's a miracle he's still alive, the way he operates."  
  
"He's good enough to get away with it, usually. He just let the fact that he was with two white mages make him forget that having a few Phoenix Downs around is a good idea." Amarant rolled his eyes behind his shaggy red mane as he led Freya over to the cot, the two of them sitting down.  
  
"Like I said," Amarant smirked, "it's a miracle he's still alive." Freya chuckled slightly at that, and put an arm around his waist.  
  
"I suppose it is. But I'm glad he is - if he'd gotten himself killed before, then I'd never have met you."  
  
"We'd have met eventually," he said after a long moment. "Just not under pleasant circumstances."  
  
"And what's that supposed to mean?"  
  
"You'd have gone after the bounty on my eventually, or you'd have been going through Treno some time when I was low enough on cash to be willing to risk mugging you. Something like that."  
  
"Well, I'm glad it didn't happen that way," she said, leaning over to kiss him. "I'd hate to be fighting you."  
  
"Except when you're trying to be on top," he smirked, brushing her hair back out of her eyes. She chuckled and brought her tail up to bat at the back of his head playfully.  
  
"Like you were complaining?"  
  
"Never said I was, did I," he asked, kissing her again as he ran his hand down her back to the base of her tail, raising an excited shiver from the slender Burmecian.  
  
"We should probably take this back to my room," she said. "I can't believe you actually sleep on this," she said, dropping a hand to pat the thin padding.  
  
"Well, it did give me an excuse to sleep outside when I had the chance," he chuckled. "Besides, it's more than I got used to."  
  
"One of these days, you're going to have to explain what you mean by that sort of thing," she said seriously. He was quiet for a moment, and she could see the conflict behind his eyes.  
  
"I'm sorry," she said, lowering her head slightly. "I didn't mean -"  
  
"No, you're right," he said, raising her face so that their eyes could meet again. "But I'm not up to it yet - a lot of bad things I tried very hard to forget. Remembering's going to take a while."  
  
"We'll have the time, Red," she said, trying to get used to the name he'd given her before. The slight smile it brought to his face was worth it, she decided. "We'll have the time." He thought for a few moments longer, before he continued.  
  
"If you decide you have to know before I'm up to telling you - ask Lani. She knows as much of the story as anybody who's still alive, except me."  
  
"May I ask one question about your past?" He licked his lips and swallowed, and she saw the fear in his eyes for a moment - though she wasn't sure what he was afraid of.  
  
"Just let me refuse to tell you," he replied eventually," if it's something I don't want to talk about."  
  
"Okay," she said quickly, nodding her agreement.  
  
"Then ask away," he said, wondering what she was so curious about.  
  
"You and Lani - were you.." She trailed off, her white fur turning slightly pink as she blushed.  
  
"Lovers," Amarant prompted. She nodded, and he sighed slightly in relief.  
  
"Not really. I'd be lying if I told you we were never together, but we were always friends, never really lovers." She nodded, and leaned her head against his shoulder.  
  
"Jealous," he asked, a slightly amused tone to his voice. She chuckled, and shook her head.  
  
"No, that's not really something I do. Just afraid that she might be. I'd rather not have to fight with somebody that close to you."  
  
"Nah," Amarant said with a chuckle. "Closest she ever came to doing something like that was when she realized that the person I was talking to at the bar was really another bounty hunter before I did. That was a close one."  
  
"Good. I might not have been impressed with her before, but I think it'd be a good idea to forget about that, if we're going to try making this work."  
  
"She won't forget," Amarant said quietly, "but I don't think she'll hold it against you. You were doing your job, she was doing hers. She's a pro, even if she's one of the more arrogant pros most of the time."  
  
"That's a funny way to describe a friend," Freya chuckled, nuzzling his shoulder with the side of her face.  
  
"You should hear some of the things she says about me," he said, stroking the fur of her neck and shoulder. "Every word of it's true, both ways, but you'd never believe we were friends to listen to us some days."  
  
"And just how would you describe me," she said, closing her eyes slightly as she leaned against him.  
  
"Hmm.. Stubborn, nosy, a bit of a control freak," he said teasingly. "How's that for a start?"  
  
"I'm not a control freak," she muttered with a pout.  
  
"Well, maybe not. Of course, I'd have to follow it up with loving, understanding, kind almost to a fault, and drop dead gorgeous."  
  
"Mmm - I like the sound of those better," she said drowsily, the excitement from earlier finally catching up with her.  
  
"Get some sleep, lover," he said gently, as she dozed off on his shoulder. "I think we'll both be needing it." A few minutes later, he gently shifted to pick her up, and take her back to her own quarters and bed, moving with care usually reserved for trying to sneak past guards. Once he'd pulled the sheet up and over her, he stripped off his vest and lay down next to her, putting his arms around her before he fell asleep himself.. 


	4. Of Mice and Men: Part 3

~~~Part 3~~~  
  
The next morning, Freya woke up to the achingly familiar feeling of two powerful arms holding her. She snuggled up against her lover, and freed her arms from his grip to hold him herself, still at least half-asleep.  
  
"Mmm, good morning Fratley," she murmured when he stirred slightly.  
  
"Wrong lover," came the voice from slightly above her head, the teasing tone of Amarant's voice not quite concealing the sting of his wounded pride.  
  
"Oh - I'm sorry," Freya said quickly, burying her face against his shoulder as she blushed brightly.  
  
"Relax," Amarant chuckled, rubbing her back through her dress. "I could probably take a little deflating once in awhile."  
  
"I just - I wasn't awake, I don't know what I was thinking," she groaned. "I'm sorry."  
  
"Well, at least you didn't hit me when you realized I wasn't him," he said with a grin, shifting her head back and raising her chin so he could kiss her, teasing at her lips with his tongue as her jaws parted slightly, eagerly welcoming him into her mouth.  
  
"I wouldn't have done that," she said as their lips parted, smiling softly at him. "Amarant - no regrets about yesterday?"  
  
"None," he said sincerely, running his hands along her body as she shivered at his touch. "You?"  
  
"Not as long as it happens again," she said, smiling at him shyly as he smirked slightly.  
  
"Sometime soon," he asked, rubbing her back gently as she pressed against him.  
  
"Mmm.very soon," she murmured playfully, nuzzling his neck.  
  
"Maybe a nice light breakfast," he chuckled, slipping his hand under the sheets between them to run his fingers through the fur of her thighs.  
  
"I know I have an appetizer in mind," she smirked, starting to loosen his belt. Suddenly, the door to the room started to open. She turned to look at the door with an expression verging on panic as Amarant rolled back off the bed, out of sight. Zidane's head popped in, and he looked to  
  
"Hey, Freya, we're almost.to.Daguerro." Zidane looked at her quizzically. "Something wrong?"  
  
"No, Zidane," she said, shaking her head slowly. "Nothing's wrong. How're you holding up after that dragon yesterday?"  
  
"Ah, I'll be fine," the young thief said cockily, thumping his chest. "Take more than that to drop me." Freya rolled her eyes, turning over in bed.  
  
"Well, go pick up the supplies you want and we'll get back to the training sessions," she said, faking a yawn.  
  
"Actually, I think we're ready to hit the shrines after this. Might want to get ready - won't take long before we're on our way."  
  
"Fine, I'll be up in a little while. Now, care to leave, or are you going to try and explain to Dagger why you watched me getting dressed?"  
  
"Uhm, right," Zidane said quickly, the door closing behind him as Freya chuckled slightly, looking over at the side of the bed Amarant had fallen off of. A low moan came from the floor, and she frowned slightly.  
  
"Are you okay, Amarant?"  
  
"Remind me why I saved his life yesterday," he asked, rubbing his head where he'd hit the nightstand.  
  
"Because we need him to help save the world?"  
  
"At this rate, I'm reconsidering where I stand on that," the tall fighter groused, getting to his feet.  
  
"Guess we'll have to have a regular meal," Freya said, pouting slightly. Amarant climbed onto the bed next to her, throwing the sheets back.  
  
"Maybe," he smirked, "but I think a quick snack first wouldn't be out of line."  
  
~~~===~~~  
  
"Why do I have to go with her?" Zidane had just told Amarant and Freya that they'd be going into the Fire Shrine. They must have expected it ahead of time - he found the two of them practicing in the sweltering heat of the engine room, obviously preparing for any trouble they'd run into in the volcano. Which, really, was why Zidane was surprised by Amarant's protests. But it wasn't time to argue about that - they still had to get to the other shrines - and, frankly, the young thief wasn't too crazy about what he saw shaping up for the teams.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry," he answered flippantly, "would you have rather gone with Eiko?" Amarant just grunted, leaning back against the wall to sulk as Zidane walked out of the engine room. As soon as the door closed, Amarant felt a hand close on the collar of his vest, and Freya dragged him over in front of her face.  
  
"What the hell was that about," she hissed, and he could sense the seething anger that she was barely controlling.  
  
"Don't need to be distracted if there's anything down there," he said, calmly bringing his hand up to dislodge her grip on his collar. "What's bothering you about it?" She stared at him for a moment, not entirely sure where to start. Amarant shrugged and walked down to the port they'd jump into the shrine from. A moment passed, and Freya started to follow him.  
  
"Just tell me one thing," she said when she caught up with him.  
  
"What?"  
  
"What happened to the man I was with this morning," she asked shaking her head slightly to shake off some of the sweat in her fur.  
  
"We've got a job to do. Do you *really* think that the guy you were with this morning could handle it? He cares too damned much - this is what I'm like when I've got a job to do. If you don't like it, deal." The pain that flashed across Freya's face at the cold, careless tone in his voice was obvious to him, even through the shell he'd put up, and he considered trying to drop the act for a moment, his discipline faltering. She shouldered her spear and started back down through the ship - this time, Amarant was the one hurrying to catch her.  
  
"Freya, I -"  
  
"Shove it, Amarant," she said coldly. The difference between her cold and his, though, was that he knew hers was his fault. "If you don't think you can do your job without turning into the loser who's on the top of every bounty hunter's hit list, then fine. I can do it too - I'm sure we'll get out of this alive, and with what we need in the process. After all - that's how you've worked for years, isn't it? Just keep looking to the next fight?"  
  
"Something like that," he said, putting his shell back up and following her to the drop point -honestly regretting what he'd become for the first time in his life.  
  
~~~===~~~  
  
"I expected more traps," Freya said, crouching near the entrance of the Fire Shrine.  
  
"Wait for them," Amarant said, peering into the tunnel, the stones glowing red with the heat from the volcano. "You just can't see them from here."  
  
"So where's the first one?"  
  
"First things first - I'm sorry." Freya looked at him sharply, registering a moment of shock before her expression hardened again.  
  
"You sure as hell should be. We'll talk when we get back to the ship," she said quietly, trying to keep up the anger that she'd felt on the ship. Why did he have to apologize? Well, not something to deal with now. "So, where's the first one you see?"  
  
"Weight sensitive steps, about three blocks down. Probably set off flame jets when you hit it. Of course, if you set it off ahead of time," he trailed off, grabbing a piece of obsidian knocked off by the airship on the way down, "you don't have to deal with it after that," he finished, tossing the rock onto the steps he'd noticed. Suddenly, the opening behind them slammed shut.  
  
"Or, of course," he said with a resigned sigh, not even looking back at the solid rock wall that had fallen behind them, "it could lock us in." Freya looked back in disbelief.  
  
"I take it back," she grumbled, "I think I prefer working with you when you're being cold-hearted enough that you don't do things like that." She looked at the door, trying to find some sort of crack or opening. He looked at the floor, his eyes growing wide as he realized what was happening.  
  
"Not now, Freya, we've got bigger problems," he said quickly, grabbing her arms and twisting her around so she could see the slowly rising lava seeping up through the floor.  
  
"Shit - we've got to get out of here!"  
  
"Only exit's on the other side - climb onto my back, and stay low." She did as he said, trusting that he knew what he was doing. She could feel the sweat dripping off of her fur as the room became even hotter somehow, but she noticed that his skin was perfectly dry.  
  
"How can you handle this heat," she asked.  
  
"Worry about that later," he said simply, before starting to run for the other end, praying that the lava level didn't rise any faster than it already was. He jumped over a low plume of flame, trying to adjust for Freya's added weight, and the awkwardness of carrying her. He could smell the soles of his boots burning as he ducked another gout of flame, Freya shouting something incomprehensible as he zoned out the noise around him, focusing on the exit on the other end of the tunnel - an exit that was shrinking at an alarming rate as the tunnel sank.  
  
"Jump," he shouted, pausing on a dry rock and shifting his hands under her bare feet to give her something to push off of. Her powerful legs flexed, launching her through the air towards the opening. She caught the edge of the other floor with her hands, spinning around quickly as Amarant started running again, holding her hand out for him as he lunged towards her, grabbing hold as she started pulling him out. Just as he scrambled out of the tunnel, lava filled the bottom of it. As they watched, catching their breath, it slowly rose again, the weight re-settling.  
  
"That was too easy," Freya joked. "It must have been disappointing for you." Amarant looked at her like he couldn't decide if she was crazy, or joking.  
  
"Now," she continued, pulling the polished red metal disc out of a deep pocket of her dress, "I'll just put the mirror here.." She approached the altar, as Amarant watched, still not trusting how easy it looked. He noticed something moving by the ceiling.  
  
"Freya, stand back," he shouted, slipping his claws on. She looked up, jumping back with a startled cry just as a snake-like figure hit the ground where she'd been standing. It drew itself up, revealing the flaming red length of its body as the six arms of its nearly human torso flexed. Freya felt a chill run down her spine as an ancient memory came to her, out of some primal part of her mind, telling her to run as fast and far as she could. She stayed her ground, though, and drew her spear as she watched Maliris, the Fire Guardian, moving between them and the altar.  
  
"It's just as Kuja said," it hissed cheerfully. "He said I should expect intruders.." 


	5. Of Mice and Men: Part 4

~~~Part 4~~~  
  
(A/N - thanks to Gizamaluke 7377 and Weiila for the canon dialogue from this segment of the game. As stated elsewhere, though, this content belongs to the folks at Squaresoft, and is used without permission.)  
  
"What are you," Amarant asked. He and Freya had been staring the creature down for several minutes, all watching each other, looking for an opening that nobody presented. He decided to break the near silence and see if it might help. "One of Kuja's monsters?"  
  
"Yes," Maliris rumbled, "we are the guardians of Terra. Filled with the power of Terra itself." Freya growled slightly, trying to shake off the fear deep inside of her. She latched on to Amarant's calm presence, and the possibility of finding out what Kuja had been talking about before, to try and steady herself.  
  
"What is Terra," she snarled at the monster, fueling her anger with the uneasiness she still felt.  
  
"We did not become guardians to chat with mortals," it chuckled. "We derive pleasure from ending your worthless lives..."  
  
"Just to prove how powerful you are," Amarant said matter-of-factly.  
  
"So you understand," Maliris said with a thin smile. "But will that knowledge help you?" The lean warrior snorted derisively.  
  
"Foolish." The fire snake flared with rage at the insult, and the temperature of the room rose.  
  
"What," it roared, unable to believe the audacity of the red-haired mortal before it.  
  
"Picking fights with strangers in a place like this," he said, shaking his head. "I used to know someone like that. He was a loser." He walked over to lean against one of the pillars, looking at the snake as he realized where its weakness was - its pride. Just like his had been before. "He refused to find beneficial ways to use his power," he continued. "Instead, he'd seek out people to fight..." Freya looked at him, wondering what he was getting at - and regretting her earlier comments that seemed to be working their way into his self-recriminating lecture to Maliris.  
  
"Amarant," she said quietly, before the serpent cut her off.  
  
"What...are you talking about," it asked half-curiously, even as a sharp, flaming blade formed in each of its six hands. Freya and Amarant took up their own fighting stances, the ice-spear the Burmecian was wielding steaming slightly in the heat of their surroundings, but maintaining its dangerously low temperature.  
  
"We'll show you what he means," she shouted with a sneer for Maliris.  
  
"Interesting," the serpent hissed with a chuckle, "but you'll regret this!" It brandished its swords, swinging at the most obvious threat - the little mouse with the ice-cold spear. She leapt into the air, taking advantage of the vaulted ceiling as Amarant struck, his claws skittering harmlessly off of Maliris' scales. The fiend sneered at him as it turned.  
  
"Flames of Hell," it snarled, slashing through the air with its blades, sending a swath of flame towards him. He dove out of the way, wincing as the edge of the flame caught his side, gritting his teeth. He tumbled back to his feet, drawing his hands back to summon his inner strength for an attack.  
  
"No Mercy!" He brought his hands forward, releasing the blast of energy into Maliris. The fiend snarled as it felt something that it hadn't felt in centuries - pain.  
  
"A good trick, mortal," it hissed. "And aptly named, since that is exactly what it has earned you!" It dove forward, just before being reminded of a threat it had forgotten - Freya. The dragon knight plummeted from the ceiling, her spear only grazing the rapidly shifting form of the fiend - but that was enough to raise a tortured shriek of pain from its ancient frame. The long tail whipped around, grabbing Freya and squeezing her tight, drawing a squeak of terror, anger, and pain from her.  
  
"Freya," Amarant shouted, lunging towards Maliris, his rage flaring white hot as he struck it again, this time chipping one of the fiend's bright red scales. It howled and brought its six arms to bear on the lean warrior, cutting into him with its blades at a blinding pace and sending him flying back into the wall of the shrine. He kneeled for a moment, screaming as his entire body glowed with the power of his anger, pain, and fear. Maliris watched, not entirely sure what to make of it - the fiend hadn't witnessed this sort of rage in all its centuries of life. Amarant scooped a few coins off the floor, and charged towards the battle, spinning around and releasing a hail of gil towards the stunned serpent, who barely had time to brace for the impact before the gold coins cut into its scales. Demon and dragon knight both screamed as Maliris tightened her death-grip on Freya, who soon went limp in its grip between the heat, pain, and lack of air.  
  
"Hold, or I'll kill her," it snarled, praying that Amarant was still coherent enough to understand its threat. To judge by how quickly the attack ceased, he was.  
  
"Good," Maliris sneered. "Now die!" Six arms swung towards Amarant, and six blades flew through the air towards him. He tumbled back, narrowly dodging the flying blades. He flipped to his feet, just in time to see the fireball flying at him. He tried to dodge, but too late, as the flames engulfed him. He ground his teeth together, enduring the intense pain before it passed by him, his clothes nearly untouched by the searing heat thanks to the glowing nimbus of power around him.. He ducked out of the way of the next blast, but a great fist caught him in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him. He tried to summon the energy required to heal himself, but he couldn't focus enough, couldn't even perform the simple maneuvers required to open his chakras. So instead, he gasped for breath as his Trance left him spent and helpless before the wrath of Maliris.  
  
"So, mortal," it said with an arrogant sneer, "your tricks are done." It slithered forward slowly, loosening its grip on Freya slightly so that it could move more easily as it collected two of its swords. And, in doing so, made a fatal mistake - letting the Burmecian breathe more easily.  
  
"Now you die," it roared, raising its blades high for a killing blow. Freya's eyes fluttered open at the noise as her body recovered quickly from its abuse.  
  
"No," she shouted, trying to free her spear-arm. Maliris started to bring its swords down towards Amarant, and she did the only thing she could think of - wrapped her leg around the haft of her spear, and brought the blade back to slice into the fiend's tail. Maliris screamed, dropping its swords as it looked back at her in disbelief - and then horror, as it looked at its wound, and the growing ice that was flowing over its body, freezing it solid.  
  
"How," it asked, before the deadening cold froze it completely solid.  
  
"Nobody puts me out of a fight," Freya growled, wriggling free as Amarant stood. "When I jump, destroy it," she yelled, waiting for his answering nod before leaping. Amarant drew his hands back again, summoning the force he had used before the fight had gone out of control.  
  
"No Mercy," he shouted, launching the globe of energy at the frozen fiend - smirking with satisfaction as he recognized the trembling of the frozen body that came before..  
  
Amarant barely had time to cover his face before a hail of ice shards reminded him that creatures, particularly ones that big, usually shattered rather than crumbling. Freya landed a moment later, nearly slipping in the pile of ice that was left behind.  
  
"Well," she said, shaking her head. "At least *now* we can put the mirror in place.."  
  
~~~===~~~  
  
Later, back on the Hildegaard III, Freya was sitting in her room, looking up at the ceiling. She heard a knock at her door, and she turned over on her bed, looking away from it.  
  
"Who is it," she asked carelessly.  
  
"It's me," came Amarant's familiar voice. She closed her eyes and curled up slightly.  
  
"Go away," she said weakly. She heard the door open and close quietly, just as she expected.  
  
"I told you to go away," she said, curling up further on the bed. She didn't *want* to talk to him now. Didn't *want* to have to think about what had happened earlier, how she'd overreacted. Didn't *want* to let go of the hurt and forgive him.  
  
Did she?  
  
"I know you did," he said softly, pulling a chair over and sitting down. "How're you doing?"  
  
"I'm doing just fine, thanks," she said coldly. "Now, would you leave me alone?" He winced, wondering if he'd made a mistake coming up here so shortly after what had happened.  
  
"Zidane's having the crew take us back to the Shimmering Island," he said, looking towards the porthole of the ship, and the passing clouds. "We'll be seeing Terra soon." She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to ignore him, but she couldn't.  
  
"What do you want," she finally asked miserably. Amarant swallowed the lump in his throat before he answered.  
  
"I wanted to apologize for earlier. Maybe I shouldn't have shut down like that, but I certainly shouldn't have treated you the way I did after that. It's just an old habit that's hard to break after twenty years or so - but I'm trying."  
  
"Damn it - why did you have to apologize," she muttered to herself, not realizing that she'd said it out loud. It was so much easier to stay mad when she thought he didn't care how she felt.  
  
"Because I hurt you," he answered. "I didn't mean to. I just don't think when I get like that - instinct, experience, those things change how I act. It's been over a decade since I could really afford to let how I feel change things."  
  
"Amarant," she said, biting her lip. "I shouldn't have done what I did. I just.. I didn't know what was going on. I still don't. It was.like you forgot me."  
  
"No," he said, shaking his head as he stood and walked over to put a hand on her shoulder. "If I'd forgotten about you, I wouldn't have acted that way. I've always fought going into a fight with somebody I cared about, because I know that I shut down like that. And we're alive because you did that. It knocked me out of that mindset - I might not have listened to that.thing if that hadn't happened. I might have let it.." He trailed off, hating what he'd become for the second time that day. Freya turned over to face him, and reached up to touch his shoulder.  
  
"You didn't," she said simply. "Instead.you almost got killed, stopping before you'd finished the fight." Amarant chuckled and shook his head.  
  
"Not a chance of that - I was just getting him where I wanted him." Freya rolled her bright eyes back, but she was chuckling when she slugged him playfully. Her expression turned more serious as she drew him down beside her.  
  
"What you did earlier - please don't do it again."  
  
"I won't, if I can help it - just tell me if I do. It'll take awhile to stop shutting down like that."  
  
"I can handle that," she said, pulling him close to her. "I just don't like to feel like you're trying to get rid of me," she finished softly, resting her head on his shoulder. "I already had one lover leave me behind, I don't want you to do the same," she whispered.  
  
"Shh - I'll never leave you, if I can help it," he said, rubbing her neck and back gently. "I promise." They were quiet for a long moment while they both calmed down, releasing some of the fear and anger of the day, before Freya spoke again.  
  
"Amarant?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Why do you shut down like that? If you don't want to tell me, that's okay, but.."  
  
"But you want to know why I become somebody else when I'm on a job, right?" She nodded against his shoulder, and he thought for a moment, trying to decide the easiest way to explain it.  
  
"You remember that tattoo you noticed the first time we were together?"  
  
"Yes," she said, absently tracing a finger over the rough, stylized serpent scar under his vest.  
  
"It's the brand of one of the pit slaves of Treno's old Serpent Syndicate."  
  
"Pit slaves," she asked, trying to figure out what he meant as she pulled back slightly, watching his face.  
  
"We were trained to fight in the pits deep below the city - not something I like to remember. Part of what I had to do to survive was shut down like that - and I just never stopped doing it, when I was on a job."  
  
"So that's why you feel like you have to prove yourself all the time," she said softly, still half-shocked at the very idea. He shrugged.  
  
"Maybe. Doesn't matter too much - but it is why I do that. I've had to for years now."  
  
"Does Lani know about this?"  
  
"She was there," he nodded. "Different syndicate - think she was in King's stables. But she was there. She wound up taking the worst parts of it too, before we dealt with the problem. But that's not something I want to talk about," he said firmly.  
  
"All right, Amarant," Freya nodded quietly, pulling him close again. "It can wait."  
  
"Thank you," he said softly. "Get some sleep, lover, I have a feeling we'll be needing it." Freya smiled and closed her eyes, relaxing against him.  
  
"Just make sure you get some too," she said with a slight chuckle, before the two of them both tried to get some rest before the ship reached their destination.. 


End file.
